Patient Testimonials

A Gratitude from a Burmese Patient who had a Total Knee Replacement
A Gratitude from a Burmese Patient who had a Total Knee Replacement

A Burmese patient, KHIN NIN KYI, expressed her gratitude to Dr. Jen-Hui Zhang, chief of the Orthopedics Department at Cardinal Tien Hospital who performed a total knee replacement and relieved her long-standing left knee pain. According to her, Burmese people usually seek medical treatment or surgery in Thailand due to geographical proximity. Because her daughter was a patient of Dr. Zhang and she received an excellent medical care and treatment; therefore, the whole family trusted Dr. Zhang and the medical team of Cardinal Tien Hospital. KHIN NIN KYI specifically came from Myanmar to Taiwan to have a total knee replacement surgery at Cardinal Tien Hospital by Dr. Zhang. After the surgery, KHIN NIN KYI recovered without any complication and was able to walk normally. During the follow-up visit, she happily mentioned to Dr. Zhang that she cannot wait to go to the beach for a vacation. She expressed her great appreciation to Dr. Zhang's excellent medical skills and all the medical team at Cardinal Tien Hospital. (Left picture: postoperative follow-up after 3 days)(Right picture: the follow-up after 2 weeks) Should you get an artificial joint replacement for knee pain? Q&A about Osteoarthritis What is osteoarthritis? Who is more likely to develop it? Osteoarthritis is caused by cartilage wear and tear, making the knee joint cavity narrow. In more severe cases, the joint cartilage can completely wear away, causing direct bone-to-bone friction, leading to severe pain, deformity, and difficulty in movement.o:p>/o:p> The prevalence of osteoarthritis of the knee is about 15%, mainly occurring in elderly people aged 65 and above, with a higher incidence in women. Risk factors include being overweight, older age, heavy work, muscle weakness, a history of arthritis, congenital hip joint malformation, genetics, etc. How to prevent and treat degenerative joint disease? Is it necessary to replace the artificial joint? To prevent degenerative joint disease, besides aging which is an irreversible factor, it is necessary to adjust correct sitting and standing postures, avoid crossing legs, prolonged standing or sitting. Additionally, maintaining a healthy body weight and muscle strengthening can improve joint stability and delay the occurrence of degeneration.o:p>/o:p> For early-stage joint degeneration, physical therapy and oral joint health supplements, including glucosamine or non-denatured collagen, could be considered. For patients with mild to moderate joint degeneration, hyaluronic acid, PRP injection therapy, or arthroscopic debridement and cartilage regeneration surgery can be performed. For patients with moderate to severe joint degeneration, high tibial osteotomy or knee joint replacement surgery should be considered. How to choose an artificial joint for degenerative knee joint disease? Currently, most artificial knee joint replacement is good for 10 to 15 years at least. But if the patient is financially well off and she wants a self-funded artificial knee joint replacement, the usage can be extended for a longer period of time. However, the cost of a self-funded artificial knee joint replacement is more expensive than that is covered under national health insurance. Patients can freely choose based on their own age and their financial situation.o:p>/o:p> During artificial joint replacement surgery, a drainage tube is place at the operative side for a few days, which will be removed after another two to three days depending on patients’ clinical condition. When the patient feel better he/she can use crutches or walkers to practice walking, and the doctor will teach the patient how to do rehabilitation exercises.o:p>/o:p> Under the leadership of Dr. Jen-Hui Zhang, Chief of Orthopedics Department at the Cardinal Tien Hospital upholds the purpose of "Love God and Love People, Respect Life, Medical Service for Love, and Promote Holistic Care”. The surgical procedures advances in many aspects, including artificial joint replacement, trauma, sports medicine, spinal surgery, pediatric surgery, and has established a good reputation, being recognized by the public. Currently, we are actively establishing Regenerative Medicine and the latest treatment methods, such as: 1. Stem cell therapy, 2. Mosaic chondroplasty, 3. Biphasic Cartilage Repair Implant, 4. Robotic arm-assisted joint replacement surgery, etc. In the future, in addition to the improvement of technology and treatment methods, a knee joint rehabilitation center will also be established to help patients return to work as soon as possible after surgeries and improve their postoperative quality of life. Patients who have any querieswith orthopedic-related problems are welcome to seek medical treatment and consultation at Cardinal Tien Hospital.

#Joint Replacement
[Egg Recipient Program] Premature Ovarian Failure at 30 Finally Pregnancy in Taiwan
[Egg Recipient Program] Premature Ovarian Failure at 30 Finally Pregnancy in Taiwan

I am 36 now. I recall the hardships I have experienced in the past six years, and finally I had my own child. Look at my sleeping baby, I would like to record this process, kind of to say goodbye to this trip. Premature Ovarian Failure at 30, only can rely on Egg Recipient Program I found I had premature ovarian failure at 30. My AMH result was only 0.06. It really shocked me, I couldn't believe it at first, and finally accepted it. And I started to see doctors around the country. I tried everything and had IVF treatment for 2 year. Due to my premature ovarian failure, it’s hard to get the oocyte, even the good one. Although I was successful once, the baby was found it’s unhealthy at 28 weeks pregnant. I just let it go. After the induction of labor, my premature ovarian failure was even worse. I couldn't bear it any longer. I once thought about giving up. I thought it would be nice to live in a two-person world. Watching the birth of a friend's child. I can't fool myself, I still want a complete life and family with children. In the end, I chose the Egg Recipient Program. The Egg Recipient Program was illegal at that time. I knew some couples faced the same issue and they consulted the black market. But I was worried. Even though it's convenient, I felt insecure about an unmanaged egg bank, so I ended up not going to the black market for treatment. Egg Recipient is legal in Taiwan, that’s why I went to Stork Later I learned that the Egg Recipient Program is legal in Taiwan. After getting to know and being recommended by friends, I finally chose the Stork Fertility Center in Taiwan. In 2018, I started to contact Stork and prepared all the documents needed. I flew to Taiwan for the first visit, and the most important, I began pairing with the egg donor. Soon, I paired the donor after a month. It's a pity that the pairing of Taiwan's Egg Recipient Program is double-blind. We can't see donors’ photos, we can only imagine what the donor's look like through the mouth of the consultant. It’s efficient. So I planned for my next check-up-ERA. That's to make sure my window of implantation opens at a regular time. They make sure everything before implantation, including thrombus indicators. And it found out my D-Dimer is higher. So I have to do heparin injection. Even though it's uncomfortable, I could do anything for my baby. It turns out why not go to Taiwan at the beginning, tossing me for so many years, and making me exhausted. I finished all the procedures in one year: visa, notarization, flight ticket, examination, pick the donor, ERA, implantation. Finally, I gave birth to a lovely baby, and completed my dream. I experienced different treatments between Stork and the hospital in China. There are many people in China, and it is chaotic and long waiting in China. Stork is totally opposite. From the doctor, nurse and assistant, I felt comfortable and pleased. Most importantly, it’s legal center, they follow the Artificial Reproduction Law, serious for every step and procedure. The donor must be healthy before the pairing. Everytime I see my sleeping baby, I always want to say You only have one cell that is not mine, the rest of the billions of cells in your body are all given to you by me. I have suffered all kinds of hardships just to have you, I hope you can grow up healthy, safe and happy. I love you. However, I got through all 6 years to have my baby. I still appreciate that I didn't give up, and I chose Stork. Thanks to the doctors and staff from Stork Fertility Center that complete my life and my family. *This article only reflects the treatment status at the time of writing, and the actual situation should be discussed with the doctor.

#Artificial Reproduction
My Challenging Journey of IVF at Taiwan
My Challenging Journey of IVF at Taiwan

I didn’t plan my future when I was young, is oocyte donation my only option? I've never heard of the concept of freezing eggs for future use when I was still young. Hong Kong people are known for their hard-working and high living expenses. However, working women are often spending time at work in the golden age for marriage and childbirth. They are often labeled as three-high leftover women (higher age, high educational background, high income). I've been there, no choice but to suffer in silence. Hong Kong looks like a modern, civilized, and open society, but it is still very behind in terms of constitutions such as bachelorettes freezing their eggs. In recent years, some HK celebrities have mentioned their egg freezing treatment overseas. It created some attention in the society of egg freezing. I waited until the age of 41 to come across the concept of egg freezing, embryo freezing. In the meantime, in Taiwan, most high school students learn about it in a science lesson. It highlighted the lack of sex education and moral education in Hong Kong. As for me, I started IUI treatment as soon as I got my marriage certificate. After a failed IUI treatment in Hong Kong, a friend of mine from Taiwan introduced me to a small clinic in Taiwan. I went through two egg retrieval surgeries and three implantation surgeries. Though we had culture 12# Day 3 embryos, the doctor convinced me the outer layer (trophectoderm) is fragile and freeze those instead of culture till day five. I felt like I hit the bottom of my self-esteem. Personalized IVF treatment collecting embryos With an adequate AMH index and decent response after injections, I am not ready to give up yet. At 43, I heard of Doctor O from Stork Fertility Center for the first time from a Shanghainese friend. He carefully reviewed my clinical history and agreed with us. At our first visit, he prescribed a long-acting injection and a few other injections for me to bring back to Hong Kong. I waited for my period to come. I used a long-acting injection on my period day 3, it will last about 4-5 days. unlike traditional IVF treatment, I don't need to do injections every day, it was much easier for me. The result of my first egg retrieval was 17# formed four blastocysts which were very comforting. But based on the fact that only one blastocyst has reached BB grade. And the result of PGS/PGT-A (pre-implantation chromosome screening) showed "abnormal chromosome". Thus I implanted the other two embryos without PGS test. It was like a gamble, and I lost. Doctor O suggested I undergo another retrieval surgery while my ovarian function was still ok. Aimed at collecting embryos. I got 6 BC-grade embryos at last. Some might say transferring BC-grade embryos is gambling with our bodies. But isn't life a gamble? Life's always been a gamble since I was young working overseas, the encounter with my significant half. Desperately, praying for a good pregnancy Considering all factors, I decided to implant four blastocysts at one time! On the one hand, I pray that the transfer will be successful, and on the other hand, I hope my 44-year-old body can be capable of twins or more. Everyone said that the two-week waiting is more painful than the injections and the postoperative. However, after four failed implantations, I was mentally prepared for everything that could happen. Maybe it’s because I didn’t put pressure on myself. I was lucky. I got a positive result for the pregnancy test. I am so thankful for the consultants at Stork. They were very supportive and reminded me of every little detail. I was calm when I saw the result. I was even suspicious while I was waiting for the time to take the ultrasound test. I was truly relieved when I heard the baby's heartbeat in the hospital. My 88-year-old dad shed tears ... It may be because God already knows what I have been experiencing for the last 3 years. He treated me well during the 10 months of pregnancy. I've been a good patient, I took my medicine as the Doctor told me. I experienced zero morning sickness. In my second and third trimesters, I was able to work at home due to the spread of COVID19. At 39 weeks, my baby came to this beautiful world with loud crying. The moment was surely amazing. It feels like a miracle. Stork Fertility Center helped me through the journey. *This article only reflects the treatment status at the time of writing, and the actual situation should be discussed with the doctor.

#Artificial Reproduction
Cute Japanese baby goes back to mother's family
Cute Japanese baby goes back to mother's family

Due to work factors, a Japanese couple was sent to Taiwan and could not return to Japan due to the pandemic. Eventually, they chose to undergo fertility treatment at BRCIVF and successfully became pregnant one after another. BRCIVF won their trust and also earned a good reputation. On weekends, the colleagues were very happy to see the Japanese couple who gave birth to a baby, visiting us at BRCIVF to share their happiness. We have nursing consultants who are proficient in Japanese, so we can provide them with clear information and intimate, safe services. As an international reproductive center, BRCIVF colleagues are not only dedicated to providing reproductive medical services to foreign residents in Taiwan but also continuously striving to fulfill the wishes of Taiwanese people to have children. Wish you a healthy pregnancy! Learn more: https://www.brcivf.com/ec99/IVF/news.asp?newsno=133 Line: https://lin.ee/3E6zsPY Reservation hotline: 02-2100-6318 Reservation website: https://bit.ly/3j54CFa Address: 2F, No. 318, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City (Exit 4, Xingtian Temple MRT Station)

#Artificial Reproduction
A-Thank-you Letter from Japanese patient with esophageal cancer
A-Thank-you Letter from Japanese patient with esophageal cancer

Mr. K is from Japan. Several years ago, he was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). After two endoscopic mucosal resections (EMS), there were still abnormal tissues in the esophagus. Therefore,he was referred to E-DA hospital for esophageal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatmentsince RFA is currently unavailable in Japan, With the assistance of the E-DA medical team, the operation went smoothly and he was discharged 4 days after the procedure. Before leaving the hospital, Mr. K left a message to share his experience.

#Cancer Treatment
Reunion with Japanese family!
Reunion with Japanese family!

A Japanese couple who is working in Taiwan came back with an eight-month-old baby who was a successful case last year. They are ready to do embryo implantation once again at BRC. Looking at the picture of the happy family of three, we are really happy for them! Thank you for choosing us, and have faith in Becoming Reproductive Center. We wish your family good health, happiness, success and prosperity.

#Artificial Reproduction
Why we recommend "Single Embryo Transfer".
Why we recommend "Single Embryo Transfer".

Mrs. Jiang lived in Hong Kong after getting married, and she has never been pregnant. The couple decided to come back to Taipei to do IVF treatment at BRC. She implanted an embryo for the first time and gave birth to a boy who is now seven years old, after two years she came back to BRC for implanting the second embryo, which gave them a lovely second baby girl. Back then, if two embryos were implanted at the same time, they might have been twins, however the choice of "Single Embryo Transfer", having this pair of healthy and lovely siblings completely avoided the risk of multiple pregnancy for mothers and babies. Looking at the photo of their family of four with such happiness. We wish your family good health, happiness, success and prosperity.

#Artificial Reproduction
Full of happiness
Full of happiness

The couple have lived in the United States for many years and tried hard for a long time to get pregnant. Finally, they chose to come back to Dr. Li. After Dr. Li's careful treatment, the pregnancy was successful. They stayed in Taiwan being taken care by Dr. Li until mid-pregnancy before returning to the United States. They gave birth to a lovely baby girl at the end.o:p>/o:p> o:p>/o:p>Seeing this photo of a happy family of three, we are really touched. The little princess will grow up safely and healthily!o:p>/o:p>

#Artificial Reproduction
Life will find its way out.
Life will find its way out.

Life will find its way out. A Japanese couple working in Taiwan, due to the wife diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome, her menstrual cycle is too irregular to catch the ovulation day to conceive. They have decided to do IVF treatment. Following Dr. Li’s suggestion, she tried taking ovulation induction drug again which help them to track the day of timed intercourse. When she realized her period is late, she wasn’t too surprised about it, because it might be flash in the pan just like before. She decided not to take a pregnancy test. However after two weeks of waiting, her period still didn't come. Therefore she returned to BRC. When Dr. Li checked with ultrasound, what a surprise! There were two fetal sacs in the uterus. She is pregnant with twins and their hearts are beating! Infertility treatment usually is a long process, patients often face failure and setbacks. However as Dr. Li always said, "Life will find its own way", look at the heartbeats of these lovely twins. How delightful and touching! o:p>/o:p>

#Artificial Reproduction